AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 12/31/41
The emperor was not pleased. Heads rolled. We were repulsed at Changsa and the attack at Clark Field, while not a disaster, failed to even reduce the fortifications and sent disruption through the roof. High ranking delegates from the inspector general's office were dispatched to visit all ground commands and replace incompetent boobs.
Borneo
The air battle over Kuching continues unabated. 2 AAA units arrived today. Construction engineers should arrive in two days. My biggest problem is getting the planes repaired because of service damage. The runway itself is fine. I am hoping the battle for Johore Bharu (if there is a battle) goes fast so I can have a level 4 base within range of Palembang where I can base my Sallys.
Day Air attack on Kuching , at 27,56
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 11
Ki-43-Ib Oscar x 6
Allied aircraft
Brewster 339D x 7
Hudson I x 5
B-17C Fortress x 18
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 2 destroyed, 2 damaged
Ki-43-Ib Oscar: 2 destroyed, 1 damaged
Ki-21 Sally: 1 destroyed
G3M Nell: 2 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
Brewster 339D: 1 destroyed
Hudson I: 3 destroyed
B-17C Fortress: 13 damaged
Japanese ground losses:
80 casualties reported
Guns lost 1
Airbase hits 2
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 16
Day Air attack on Palembang , at 20,55
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 11
G3M Nell x 18
C5M Babs x 1
Allied aircraft
Brewster 339D x 2
Buffalo I x 5
Allied aircraft losses
Brewster 339D: 1 destroyed
Buffalo I: 2 damaged
Allied ground losses:
6 casualties reported
Guns lost 1
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 6
Malaya
The first units arrived in Johore Bharu today. By tomorrow I will have 3 divisions and 1 brigade there, plus sundry support units. I am not sure that Grotius is going to fight for it, though. It would appear that he is withdrawing to Singapore. That will be just fine by me. I need that airbase ASAP to relieve the pressure on Kuching.
Malaya saw my only successful ground combat today. One brigade marched in to clean out these bypassed units. Hopefully tomorrow some gound support will actually fly and maybe make things even easier. [8|]
Ground combat at Kuantan
Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 14981 troops, 182 guns, 0 vehicles
Defending force 4145 troops, 42 guns, 3 vehicles
Japanese assault odds: 1 to 1 (fort level 4)
Japanese Assault reduces fortifications to 3
Japanese ground losses:
387 casualties reported
Guns lost 10
Allied ground losses:
17 casualties reported
The Banda Sea
I loaded the troops that invaded Ambiona back onto the transports and ordered them to sail for Kendari. I really don't have the kind of air support for this operation I would like but base building at Menado is going too slow for me to wait for it to reach size 4. And the supply needs there just went through the roof after I moved 3 Betty datais in. So rather than wait on supply and lacksidaisical construction crews, we are going in now. I can only hope that Grotius is focused more on Tarakan and Kuching. As a misdirection, I am sending a bombardment TF against Lautern. Hopefully, Grotius will believe that is my next target and will divert his air assets to Koepang instead of Macassar. Also, maybe I can put a dent in his search planes based there.
The Philippines
My first deliberate attack at Clark Field was repulsed. Assualt odds were 775 to 885. Disruption on my units went into the 70's. I now have to switch back to bombardments to wait for that to come back down. I looked over the commanders there and found that the commander of the 14th Army was a complete boob. So I changed him. Then I went through all my front line combat units looking for fools and ne'er-do-wells and weeding out incompetents. I outnumber him about 2 to 1 in troops at Clark and we are about even at Manila. Just a little more combat power should do it. So I loaded up the 4th mixed brigade at Saigon onto transports and ordered them to sail for Lingayen. What surprised me is that the forts did not go down, even though I had two regiments of combat engineers.
Lamon Bay was captured today.
Day Air attack on 71st PA Division, at 43,51
Japanese aircraft
Ki-21 Sally x 9
Allied ground losses:
14 casualties reported
Guns lost 1
Day Air attack on 4th Marines Regiment, at 43,51
Japanese aircraft
Ki-21 Sally x 16
Allied ground losses:
15 casualties reported
Ground combat at Clark Field
Allied Bombardment attack
Attacking force 20067 troops, 214 guns, 4 vehicles
Defending force 95987 troops, 959 guns, 205 vehicles
Ground combat at Clark Field
Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 94413 troops, 1015 guns, 214 vehicles
Defending force 24276 troops, 252 guns, 105 vehicles
Japanese assault odds: 0 to 1 (fort level 4)
Japanese ground losses:
931 casualties reported
Guns lost 24
Vehicles lost 7
Allied ground losses:
554 casualties reported
Guns lost 32
Vehicles lost 5
Ground combat at Manila
Japanese Bombardment attack
Attacking force 43786 troops, 497 guns, 6 vehicles
Defending force 55510 troops, 524 guns, 103 vehicles
Allied ground losses:
20 casualties reported
Ground combat at Manila
Allied Bombardment attack
Attacking force 9717 troops, 196 guns, 2 vehicles
Defending force 54539 troops, 502 guns, 147 vehicles
Japanese ground losses:
57 casualties reported
Allied ground losses:
5 casualties reported
Guns lost 1
China
Our forces at Changsa were severely repulsed. Grotius has just about the entire Chinese Army there, over 200,000 troops now and still rising as more units stream in. Naturally, my units did not all arrive together. I am not sure there is anyway that they ever
will arrive together. Changsa itself may be a lost cause. But perhaps I can use his uber-concentration to my advantage by flanking him. I also have to wonder what this does to his supply situation. I have another division and another brigade on the way, but I have to seriously rethink this thrust. Perhaps if Yenan falls, I can divert some of those units south. I am also wondering what his rear area bases look like. If they are only garrisoned by base forces, I could bring in my paratroopers and totally disrupt his supply situation.
In Yenan the first unit arrived today. The rest
should arrive tomorrow. [8|] I doubt he will be able to throw me out like he did at Changsa. For one thing, he simply does not have the numbers that he does at Changsa.
Ground combat at Changsha
Japanese Bombardment attack
Attacking force 11007 troops, 213 guns, 0 vehicles
Defending force 195613 troops, 1367 guns, 0 vehicles
Allied ground losses:
286 casualties reported
Guns lost 3
Ground combat at Changsha
Allied Deliberate attack
Attacking force 155033 troops, 1223 guns, 0 vehicles
Defending force 82517 troops, 942 guns, 20 vehicles
Allied assault odds: 3 to 1
Japanese ground losses:
1105 casualties reported
Guns lost 24
Allied ground losses:
4409 casualties reported
Guns lost 140
Defeated Japanese Units Retreating!
Ground combat at 46,38
Japanese Deliberate attack
Attacking force 7981 troops, 123 guns, 0 vehicles
Defending force 11412 troops, 59 guns, 0 vehicles
Japanese assault odds: 0 to 1
Japanese ground losses:
200 casualties reported
Guns lost 5
Allied ground losses:
7 casualties reported
SOPAC
The invasion of Canton will now take place the day after tomorrow, rather than tomorrow. The convoy stopped to refuel the escorts. [8|] Prepatory bombardments will continue. Tomorrow the Kates will strike the port again.
Baker Island was captured today.
A base force is one day out of Wake Island. I will finally be able to fill in this hole in my search network.
Naval bombardment of Canton Island, at 100,100
Japanese Ships
CA Furutaka
CA Aoba
CA Kako
CA Kinugasa
Allied ground losses:
85 casualties reported
Airbase hits 1
Runway hits 7
Port hits 1
Port supply hits 5
Naval bombardment of Canton Island, at 100,100
Japanese Ships
CA Furutaka
CA Aoba
CA Kako
CA Kinugasa
Allied ground losses:
199 casualties reported
Guns lost 3
Vehicles lost 2
Airbase hits 2
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 5
Port hits 1
Port fuel hits 1
Notes on production to follow in a seperate post.
(Assuming, of course, that no CVs are sunk prior to then.)
